For a second straight season, Pleasant Valley High School tight end/defensive end and University of Arkansas commit Gavin Garretson has been named the All Northern Section Defensive Most Valuable Player.
The 6-foot-7, 245-pound Garretson finished his three-year varsity career with the Vikings with a third straight Northern Section Division II title. He had 51 tackles, 10 sacks, 28 tackles for loss his senior season after 43 tackles and 16.5 sacks as a junior, and finished his career as a Viking with 144 tackles and 30.5 sacks in 39 games.
“I’m very honored and grateful to be selected for the award in a section with a lot of great talent,” Garretson said in a text. “Back to back years is special to me, but I couldn’t do it without my teammates and coaches. They put me in a position to succeed on the defensive side of the ball and made my job easy quite frankly. I’m glad I could help the team win a third straight section title and be a part of this program for the last couple years. The friendships and memories it’s given me are forever gonna be special. Thankful that God blessed me with a great senior year with great people.”
Lassen’s Dathen Moore was named Offensive Most Valuable Player after leading the Grizzlies to a NSCIF D-III championship, and rushing for 2,492 yards and 30 TDs in 14 games. He added 11 receptions for 195 yards and one TD.
Winters coach Daniel Ward, in his 17th season as head coach of the Winter Warriors, has been honored as the Coach of the Year. Ward led the Warriors to a 10-0 finish in the regular season and a Northern Section D-IV title. The Warriors finished 12-1 after losing to Arcata in the CIF Division 6-AA state playoffs. It’s Ward’s second Coach of the Year honor, with his first coming in 2014.
“The older you get and the longer you do it, the more it means,” Ward said. “When you’re young and you do it, you just think you’re going to have these great seasons all the time. The fact that we won back to back championships in 2013 and 2014 you think that’s the future and that’s what it holds. The fact that there’s 10 years between a championship, the struggle is real. Being raised in the Northern Section and playing here, and knowing how many great coaches there are and how much time the coaches put in is pretty crazy. To be recognized as coach of the year means the world to me. It’s pretty awesome.”
Ward said the Warriors took their, “lumps” three years ago in 2022 when they brought up eight sophomores, and have progressed into the team that was showcased this season. However he made it a point to note that this season’s team has had another reason to play for the last three seasons. In 2022 the Winters football team lost two of its own — Noah Lichwa and Michael Bazan-Jimenez — in an ATV accident.
“It kind of shook the program and shook the town to its core,” Ward said. “They’ve been a really big kind of motivation and the reason is so selfless. That’s kind of what makes this group so special, is that they’re selfless and they play for others and it’s been pretty special to see.”
All-Northern Section teams are selected by area media members from the Enterprise-Record, Red Bluff Daily News, Redding Record Searchlight, Marysville Appeal-Democrat, Shasta County Sports and MaxPreps.
All Section Teams
Offensive MVP — Dathen Moore, LassenDefensive MVP — Gavin Garrettson, Pleasant ValleyCoach of the Year — Daniel Ward, Winters
First Team Offense
WR – Porter Fischer, EnterpriseWR – Karson Fox, Los MolinosTE – Devin Huegel, UPrepT – Reagan Dunten, LassenT – Cadence Dial, Red BluffG – Adan Rodriguez, Red BluffG – Carter Mallinger, Pleasant ValleyC – Hunter Perry, OrlandQB – JJ Johnson, EnterpriseRB – Dathen Moore, LassenRB – Harrison Hamre, Los MolinosK – Evan Hutchings, FoothillAP – Luke Schager, Orland
First Team Defense
DE – Gavin Garrettson, Pleasant ValleyDE – Dalton Kelly, West ValleyDT – Gabe Rodriguez, ChicoDT – Isaac Ponce, Pleasant ValleyLB – Tyson Conoboy, LassenLB – Lucas Benson, Pleasant Valley
LB – Julian Herrera, WintersCB – Sebastian Rodriguez, WintersDB – Jeret Bridwell, Red BluffS – Isaac Velasquez, OrlandS – Kayden Strong, HamiltonP – Gus Stogsdill, Gridley
Second Team Offense
WR – Landon Kunau, Red BluffWR – Carson Anderson, FoothillTE – Ivan Jones, CorningT – Adin Benson, ModocT – Gabe Miller, FoothillG – Jacob Alfaro, LassenG – Nathan Schmid, QuincyC – Kawika Hathaway, LassenQB – Kayden Leaf, Red BluffQB/RB – Noel Velazquez, MaxwellRB – Davis Long, BiggsK – Aidan Bunas, University PrepAP – Lane Brown, Winters
Second Team Defense
DE – Humberto Esqueda, PierceDE – Chase Jones, Pleasant ValleyDL – Kyle Fowle, EtnaDL – Kingston Coates, FoothillLB – Peyton Garate, LassenLB – Alex Pineda, Enterprise
LB – Jesus Cervantes, FoothillDB – Davin Earhart, East NicolausDB – Kaos Martin, UPrepS – Trevon Crane, YrekaS – Logan Rasmussen, West ValleyP – Justin Polley, Shasta